Fuel system 1.8

Hi all,

I'm moving on with my project and I want to flush the old fuel out of the system.

I read on here about draining the tank but have seen a couple of times I'd need to drop or lower the rear axle to get it out, is this correct?

I don't want to disturb the fuel tank if I can get the old fuel out and check the lines in place.

I have the inline filter but is there a filter on the fuel sender in the tank? Accessed by the hatch under the back seats.

Any tips or advice would be great, thanks

Year model, and fuel would be nice to know CIS, Digifant, or Carbed.

Sorry,

1989 cab, petrol carburettor.

Yes I've found you do need to drop the rear beam, undo flex brake line, handbrake cables and exhaust to get the tank out. It was easier that way as I did read you can lower the beam a little to get the tank out but I was changing the rear rubber bushes and giving the beam a coat of paint so planned to remove it.

You can get into the tank via the back seat, if you have a plastic fuel sender be very careful with it as they do break and getting tricky to find for sensible money.
They only need to twist about 45 degrees to remove them.

You could connect a bit of fuel hose onto the fuel pick up pipe on the sender and suck the old fuel out of the tank that way?

Thanks for the advice.

I'll take a look under that hatch and see what is what.

I need to get underneath to look at the exhaust and will need to look at the brakes all round so maybe I could tie these jobs in together.

I'll see what the fuel that comes out is like and go from there

So I took your advice and was careful taking the plastic sender out, the O ring wasn't seated correctly in the first place.

Took it out, cleaned it up and set it aside. Looked in the fuel tank and it looks like a beach in there So I'm going to take the tank off and wash it out completely. 

Pictures from this

the bottom end of the pipe has a plastic sleeve on it, looks like something was fitted to the end of it?

Should there be some sort of large strainer on there or filter? 

If you google Mk1 golf fuel sender there does seem to be something on the end of the pick up pipe.
The one in my Mk1 Scirocco does not have anything on the end but it's the metal type fuel sender and mine works fine with nothing on the end so I would not worry to much just change the fuel filter on a regular basis, I change mine every couple of years or 5,000 miles as I don't do a lot of miles.


You can buy a new rubber seal so it's worth getting a new one or if the fill the tank you may find petrol leaks out.

A few links but others may sell them as well.

https://www.classic-vw.co.uk/fuel-level-sender-seal-113919131a-mk12-golf-scirocco-jetta-beetle-t2-t3-audi-80-15777-p.asp

https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/uk/113919131a-fuel-gauge-sender-unit-o-ring-seal.html

Smear a little vasoline or grease on the new seal to help hold it in place on the fuel sender when fitting the sender in the tank.

You could try and go fishing in the tank with a magnet on a stick/wire and see if any of the bits stick to the magnet then once it's cleaner, clean the magnet and leave it in the tank to collect any other bits, I've got a magnet in my tank… But if it's sand/dirt it won't stick so it will need sucking out via the hole above the tank or the tank dropped and cleaned out.

Check the fuel filler neck for any holes near the filler cap, remove the filler cap and shine a torch down it.
 If it's solid lift the back of the car and give it a very good clean under the wheel arch near the top of filler neck. I clean mine out twice a year, before and after the winter.

If you do need a new filler neck the cabriolet ones are different to tin top car and cabriolet ones are about 3 times the cost…
I did see on eBay a seller saying that you could chop the end off and bend the tin top filler neck so it fits the cabriolet but you can't… I tried it with a tin top filler neck and in the end I had to get someone to chop out a section and weld the end back on to get it to fit but it was cheaper than a cabriolet filler neck.

Yeah it just looks strange on the end of the pipe and everywhere I was looking doesn't even show the pipes it just shows the float 🙄

I think with bits of welding that need doing, there rear brakes and exhaust to look at I'll drop the tank and get a better look at it all. Access for welding will be better too.

Thanks for the advice, the magnet is a good idea but it does look sandy unfortunately.

I'll look around the filler neck and around the filler cap 👍

This pic show something on the end but not sure what it is… perhaps someone with the same sender as you will confirm what's on the end.

https://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=classifieds%2Fparts-wanted_2%2Fconvertible-fuel-sender

Yeah I see, probably just a particle filter before hitting the actual filter?!

Unless there is somewhere to get one I'll just go with cleaning the tank out and filer neck then replace the filter as and when